The Portal
by thechosenswan
Summary: Loosely based on 3x22. Emma falls through the portal alone and lands in the Enchanted Forest. With the Evil Queen seemingly out to get her, can she manage to get back home before she disrupts everyone's timelines? With the help of some surprising allies, can she strike a deal with the Dark One? Can Emma fight for the home she's spent so long looking for?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! So this is my first fic. I'm pretty nervous about it, but also really excited. I hope you like it, and please review! This will be a multichapter fic, I'm not sure how long yet but hopefully at least 8 chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or any of its characters. This is just for fun :D**

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Chapter 1

Emma rested her hands on her knees, panting. The night was cold, which was a relief to her burning cheeks. She had run from the diner as quickly as possible, getting out of the suffocating family scene she had found herself in. She loved her parents, but the sight of them with their new baby brought fresh pain to her heart. She was being replaced, again. She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall and took a deep breath.

Suddenly a deafening noise sounded through the quiet that made Emma jump about a foot in the air. When she saw what had caused it, her eyes went wide and she tried to run, but it was already pulling her in. She fell onto her front trying to grab a hold of something, anything that would save her. The portal was sucking her in, and she was powerless to stop it. "No!" she screamed. Her boot was already half in, and the force was so strong she couldn't resist it for much longer. She thought back to her family at the diner. "No," she said, more softly and in despair, before the portal gained its will and she fell in, darkness surrounding her.

* * *

"What is that?" asked David, pointing out the window of Granny's diner, a frown on his face. Snow, Henry, Ruby and Regina turned in the direction of David's hand. They could see what looked like a tunnel of fire shining in the distance reaching from the ground to the sky.

"That dearie," came the voice of Mr Gold, who strode up to them, "is Zelena's portal. Somehow it has opened." Everyone looked at each other uneasily. "How is that even possible?" asked Snow in disbelief, holding her baby boy tighter to her chest. "Zelena is gone. Her magic was taken from her."

"Well, since Zelena's body has gone, the magic in her pendant was left with nothing to do but fulfil its purpose," said Regina wearily. "It is not possible to know what time it has opened to since Zelena's magic is so temperamental, but I suggest we all avoid it. It could be extremely dangerous." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Wait a second, where's Emma?" Henry piped up. Snow and David looked at each other in fear. "She left a while ago…to get some air," said Snow slowly. "I–I don't know where she went." David immediately reached for his phone and dialled Emma's number. On the third try, he gave Snow an uneasy look. "She's not answering. She's probably fine, Snow." Just as he finished speaking the portal seemed to disappear and the sky was clear once again. "What just happened?" he demanded. Gold looked at him, clearly annoyed. "It seems that the portal has closed which can only mean one thing; someone went through. I'm going to take a wild guess and say it was your daughter, seeing as she is the only one missing at the moment." Most of the town had gathered at the party for Snow and David's new baby, and the blonde was noticeably gone.

Everyone gasped. "No! We have to get Emma back!" Snow's eyes were filling with tears. "We have to find a way to get her!" Gold held up his hand. "It is unwise to start tampering with portals. Emma is…smart," he said with a hint of disgust, as though the compliment was being wrenched from him unwillingly. "She will find her way back. Luckily her magic came back after Zelena died, so she has that to help her. I just hope she knows what she's in for." David looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

Gold hesitated slightly. "Well, dearie, anything she does could seriously mess up all of our timelines. Even the smallest action could mean that some of us never met, or weren't born." His eyes flickered over to Henry and the new baby. "Let's just hope she doesn't mess anything up, or run into the wrong person." Snow paled at the thought. "Wh-what if she meets Cora? Or Regina as the Evil Queen? Or me? What if I do something to her!" David quickly stopped Snow's rambling with a squeeze of the hand. "Calm down. She will be fine. She has her magic and she's our daughter. We will find her. We always do." Snow tried to smile, but she couldn't stop the fear gnawing away at her heart. She couldn't lose Emma. Not after it had taken so long to get back to her in the first place.

"Well, seeing as we're all still here for the moment, we can assume she's not done anything drastic," Regina cut in. "I just hope I don't meet her in the past…" she trailed off, wondering what would happen if the Evil Queen had met the Saviour.

* * *

Emma landed on the forest floor with a thump. Groaning, she picked herself up and looked around, her heart plummeting as she realised where she was. Trust her to fall through a portal and end up in the Enchanted Forest. She sighed, dusting off some of the dirt that had attached itself to her jeans. The sun shone through the trees, and Emma was thankful that it was at least daytime. She looked around nervously for any sign of life, but she was alone. She also didn't have any idea what year it was or how to get back home. Emma shook her head. She was _not_ going to be stuck here forever. She would find a way back. However, she knew she had to be careful; anything she did could seriously affect her future.

She decided to start walking, as standing around bemoaning her current situation wasn't going to help her at all. Maybe she could find Rumplestiltskin; he always had an answer for everything, even if it came with a price. She would have to find directions to his castle. She had no idea where exactly she was and her last experience here hadn't exactly been the best. She finally saw what looked like a road and kept close to it, hoping it would lead her to civilisation.

After walking for what felt like hours, and having spent ample time grumbling to herself, Emma reached a village. There weren't many people around, and Emma knew if she showed up in her red jacket and jeans there would be a few questions, so she decided to avoid meeting anyone. She saw some clothes hanging out to dry and smirked at the easiness with which she resolved her predicament. With a flick of her wrist was wearing the clothes. "Wow, this magic really comes in handy," she muttered. She was wearing brown trousers, a beige shirt and a green cloak. They were very comfortable, and although the whole ensemble was quite plain, she would blend in at least. They were far more suited to walking long distances in than her jeans. However, she still allowed her golden curls to fall freely down her shoulders, allowing the slight wind to give them a life of their own. She didn't stop at the village; she had no money so there was no point trying to get food. She wasn't about to steal unless it was absolutely necessary.

Having resumed her walk through the forest, Emma noticed something on a passing tree but immediately recoiled when she saw what it was. It was a wanted poster for Snow White. Clearly at this point in time, Regina was the Evil Queen and her mother was on the run. "Great," she said. "Someone else to avoid." She hoped she wouldn't run into either of them. Regina for the obvious reasons, and Snow not because she didn't want to see her, but because she couldn't risk altering her timeline. She would no doubt mess up and she might end up not being born. She looked at the poster sadly, missing her mother, then continued walking but shuddering slightly every time she saw one. As they became more frequent however, she began to suspect that she was nearing Regina's lands or her castle. From the posters, Regina's hatred of Snow was clearly at a high point. Something made Emma curious to keep going towards where she knew Regina would be. She wondered what Regina had been like back in this time. She had heard stories about the Evil Queen, but she wanted to really see what Regina had been like, and what she had done.

Since she wasn't actually planning on meeting Regina at all, Emma didn't bother with a magical disguise. Regina didn't know her, she wasn't sure if she could pull that kind of magic off yet and Regina might smell the magic in the air and discover her. That would have worse consequences.

After a few more hours walking, Emma arrived in the village right outside the castle. She gasped as she looked up at it. It was domineering, frightening, and yet so Regina that Emma couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. So _this_ was the Evil Queen's abode. "Charming," Emma muttered before smirking at the joke only she was around to get.

She then heard her stomach growl and frowned. She hadn't had anything to eat or drink in hours, but she had no money. She sighed, and then went to every tavern and inn she could find, asking for some work or some food for a poor stranger, but to no avail. It seemed people weren't very accepting of strangers here. Emma didn't really want to steal anything, but it had been a long day and she didn't think she would survive without some food soon. Helplessly, she wandered closer to the castle absentmindedly and spotted some apple trees. The apples looked so red, shiny and sumptuous that Emma couldn't resist licking her lips at the thought. As if on cue, her stomach gave another growl. She reached up and decided to take one, feeling the firm fruit break from the tree. She held it in her hand revelling in its beauty. Who knew fruit could look so…_regal_. Just as she was about to sink her teeth in however, a voice came from behind Emma that made her freeze and unwillingly tremble in fear. "Well, well. What are you doing with _my_ apples, thief?"

It was the voice of the Evil Queen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the follows and favs, it means a lot. I will try to update every week, or maybe quicker, I just want to get the chapters right. So, here's the next chapter, I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or any of its characters.**

Chapter 2

_Crap_, thought Emma. That voice was definitely Regina's, and it sounded positively murderous. Emma spun round to face her, wondering why she wasn't dead yet, and was faced with the Evil Queen in all her glory. Regina was wearing black leather pants with a blue top that flowed down her back and sides to her ankles. It looked intimidating, stylish and regal all at once. She certainly looked different than in the movies. Emma looked Regina in the eyes, and was a little unnerved to discover they were darker than normal and looked extremely angry. So much for reconciliation, Emma thought bitterly.

"I said," Regina growled, "What are you doing with my apples?" Emma glanced at the apple she was holding and gulped. She decided to play it cool. Regina could get the magic out at any moment and then Emma would be forced to defend herself with her own magic. That would look extremely suspicious, and she didn't want to hurt Regina, although that feeling clearly wasn't reciprocated. "I–I was merely admiring them, Your Majesty," Emma spluttered finally. Regina's mouth curled into a snarl. "You think you can pick _my_ apples? They are my property. That makes you a thief, and we have a very special punishment for thieves," her eyes glinted with rage.

Emma was rooted to the spot for a moment due to the terrifying sincerity in Regina's voice. She guessed that the 'punishment' meant execution, and she wasn't about to die from stealing an apple. She'd managed to saw a branch off the damned tree in Storybrooke and lived to tell the tale, so taking an apple wasn't going to end her. Desperately looking for an escape, Emma spotted an unattended horse in her peripheral vision. There was a clear route into the forest; she might be able to steal the horse and get away if Regina was distracted for long enough. There were too many people around to use magic, it could be dangerous. Thankfully the distraction came from Regina herself. "Guards!" she yelled, "take this thief to the dungeons where she will await her punishment." She gave a devilish smirk and turned on her heel away from Emma as the guards approached. Emma used that split second to gain the advantage. She sprinted over to the horse, mounted it, and was galloping off before the guards had even realised what happened. She heard them yelling and Regina screaming as she reached the woods, and knew it wasn't going to be an easy few days being chased by the Evil Queen.

Emma rode as fast as she could through the trees, not actually knowing where she was going but trying to get as far away from the sounds of other horses as possible. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she shook her head many times in disbelief at what she'd actually managed to pull off. When she finally thought she had lost her pursuers, she slowed down and dismounted the horse, mainly to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. She looked around realising she had no idea where she was or what she was going to do. She was starving but remembered she had managed to hold on to the apple. She took it out and eyed it curiously. It was one of the Evil Queen's special apples, which meant one of two things: either it was cursed or it would be the best apple she'd ever had.

Before she could take a bite however, she heard horses nearby. She jumped about a foot in the air and then growled in annoyance. She quickly remounted the horse and rode away again. "Regina does not give in," she muttered. The guards were nothing if not persistent. She wondered how long this chase would last. The horse seemed like it was getting tired although it hadn't tried to buck her off which she presumed was good news, having stolen him and all. It was also getting darker. Pretty soon she would have to stop for the night, which would be severely unpleasant in the forest.

Emma had strayed far from the road in an attempt to shake off the guards, and as she was still riding she spotted a small cottage out of the corner of her eye. The people there might help her or turn her away since she was running from the Queen, but Emma really needed some food and a rest, so she didn't have much of a choice but to go and knock on their door. Emma decided to magic a disguise. She felt the magic coursing inside of her, and knew it was strong enough to pull this off; somehow magic came to her a lot easier in the Enchanted Forest. The person in the cottage could be someone she knew and she didn't want anyone else seeing her. Regina, she hoped, wouldn't remember a one-off encounter with a thief. She conjured a mirror and transformed herself, surprised when it actually worked well. She had short brown hair, a rather large nose and high cheekbones, but it all seemed to flow together rather well._ I don't look half bad_, Emma chuckled to herself. She dismounted and knocked on the door nervously.

To her surprise, it was Ruby who opened the door, but Emma tried not to show any signs of recognition. "Hello?" Ruby looked a little confused to see a stranger on her doorstep. Emma smiled. "Hi, my name is…uh, Mary. Look I'm sorry to bother you, but…I'm running from the Evil Queen. Its been a long day, I have no money or anything, and I was just wondering if you could give me some food or direct me to a place where I could at least rest." She looked at the brunette nervously, wondering how she would digest this information, but to her surprise she grinned at her. "I'm Red. Anyone who is running from the Queen is welcome here," she said. "You look exhausted. Come inside and have some food." She beckoned her in and Emma followed, noting the comfortable home, roaring fire, and the smell of something delicious. "Nice place," she commented, sitting in a wooden chair resting her feet. Ruby smiled. "Thanks. It's my granny's actually. I live with her, but she's away at the moment."

"And she wouldn't mind me staying here? I don't want to put you in danger or get you into any trouble." Ruby waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. She'd want me to help you."

After eating her fill, Emma finally flopped down in bed to get some well-needed sleep. Exhaustion consumed her as her eyes closed immediately. Hours later, she awoke, stretching her stiff limbs. She decided to start breakfast for her and Ruby, as judging by the light it was morning. She went into the kitchen, located some eggs and began preparing a makeshift omelette. "Oh, hey," came Ruby's voice from behind her. "You didn't have to do that," she said, motioning to the breakfast Emma was making. Emma smiled at her. "It's the least I can do. I owe you for helping me out." Breakfast was delicious, eggs being Emma's only specialty. "I think I should get going, she said regretfully, after they had eaten. "What?" said Ruby incredulously. "You can't go! The Queen's guards will be out looking for you no doubt." Emma sighed. She really didn't want to leave, but she couldn't put Ruby in danger and she had to find Rumplestiltskin anyway.

"Sorry Red, but it's too dangerous to stay. The Queen's men could arrive at any moment. And besides, I need to find Rum–the Dark One's castle." Ruby's eyebrows shot up at this information. "Why on earth would you need to find the Dark One?" she said suspiciously. Emma hesitated, not really knowing what to say, but then she had a stroke of inspiration. "We made a deal," she said carefully. "I need something from him and he told me to steal something of the Queen's. He didn't however, tell me where to find him so I guess I have to make my way to his castle." Ruby nodded, but she had a sceptical look on her face. "I hope you know what you're doing. His deals always come with a price. But, I guess you have no choice right now, so I might as well help you. I can give you a map that will lead you to his castle, if you like. A friend gave it to me years ago. I've never needed it, but you will." She pulled a map out of the cabinet in the corner and gave it to Emma.

It was a handwritten, very detailed map of the Enchanted Forest. It looked extremely old but rarely used, which surprised Emma a little. It looked incredibly useful for travelling. Emma saw Rumplestiltskin's castle, which was a long way from where they were. She sighed. "Thanks, Red. You will always be my friend for this," she said, smiling up at the girl she knew so well, who beamed. "It's been my pleasure, Mary. But you must let me give you some food. You'll starve on that journey otherwise."

An hour or so later, Emma had food supplies and something to sleep on attached to her horse. "Stay safe, Red," she said as she mounted the horse. "You too, Mary. Don't let the Evil Queen catch you," she winked. Emma chuckled and waved goodbye as she departed from the house. She opened the map and started to follow the route that would lead to Rumplestiltskin's castle, where she hoped answers were waiting for her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! So this is the next chapter. I thought I'd post it early as I won't have internet again until Friday and I didn't want to make you guys wait! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or any of its characters.**

Chapter 3

Three days later, Emma had almost reached Rumplestiltskin's castle. She was a little tired, but thankfully still had some of the food Ruby had given to her left. Her disguise was gone; there was no one around to see her. The forest was eerily quiet, but Emma supposed that was because there wasn't much civilisation around.

As she was approaching the path that would finally take her to the castle, she heard a horse neighing nearby, breaking the silence of the woods. She froze. That meant that either there were travellers around or the Queen's men were getting closer. "I thought I'd lost those idiots," she muttered. Emma decided to get off the horse and find somewhere to hide. If the men couldn't find her they might give up. Clearly she hadn't been hiding her tracks very well.

Emma found a secluded area close by and hid the horse. She gave him something to munch on while she went to track the guards, to try and hear their plan and hopefully gain the upper hand. She hid behind a tree and watched as a few guards on horses rode into the clearing she'd just vacated. They looked around, seeming to sniff the air. "She was here, but she's gone," one with a gruff voice said. "The Queen isn't going to be happy about this," said another, and Emma shuddered when she saw a huge scar running down his face. "I don't even know why she's looking for the girl with us," said the same man in disbelief. "She's never looked for a thief before." The first man smirked. "Maybe that's because a thief has never outsmarted her before. The girl managed to escape right under the Queen's nose and the Queen herself hasn't found her yet. She seems pretty damn smart to me. Or incredibly stupid, trying to run from the Queen. Whichever it is, she's got some balls trying." The guards looked around them for a few more moments, and then decided to return to the Queen, who Emma gathered was close by.

Sighing in relief once they were gone, Emma went back to retrieve the horse, only to find that he was not there. Fear immediately gripped her bones. The guards had said that Regina was close by, so she must have found him. Crap. She probably knew where Emma was at this moment. There was no time to waste, Emma thought, as she ran back to the clearing intending to run to the Dark One's castle as fast as she could. However, when she reached the clearing she almost fell over, stumbling over her own feet as she saw Regina waiting for her. She was standing next to the horse, her hands clasped together and an almost bored expression on her face, not even flinching when Emma appeared. "Shit," Emma hissed, coming to a stop a fair distance away. Regina merely let out a cold, hollow laugh. "You make this too easy, dear." Her voice was dangerously low, and her eyes sparkled with rage as she observed Emma shifting on her feet, terrified and uncomfortable all at once. Emma's heart plummeted to her stomach as Regina held out her hand and a fireball appeared. _And I wasn't going to draw any attention to myself_, she thought as she eyed the fireball, knowing she would have to use her magic to defend herself.

Regina glared at her. "Thief," she said. "You are not getting away this time. Not on my watch. You have evaded me for far too long. Prepare to meet your fate, and say goodbye to your happy endings." She accentuated the last few words with a relish. Her behaviour was so…evil, that Emma really wanted to laugh. The Storybrooke Regina was a bit uptight to be sure, but this behaviour was so far out of the norm Emma couldn't really believe it. She knew what she had to do, however. The Storybrooke Regina had at least taught her something about magic. While Regina was revelling in her triumph for a few moments, Emma summoned her magic to her fingertips. She could feel it ready to be used. She was going to have to run after this, somehow stun or distract Regina and ride straight to the Dark One's castle without stopping. He would at least protect her form any more of Regina's wrath, she hoped. Regina stepped forward and pulled her hand back.

The fireball came, quick and sure, but Emma was ready. She put her hands in front of her and watched as a forcefield-type protection surrounded her, making the fireball useless. The smile slid right off Regina's face, to be met with confusion. "What?" she asked quietly, as though she was trying to control a million emotions at once. "What?" this time she yelled, and Emma flinched slightly as she felt the magic radiate off Regina and prepared for the inevitable incoming torrent of fireballs. They came in quick succession, but Emma managed to block them all. She didn't attempt to fight back, that would just be foolish and make Regina even more annoyed.

After the fireballs were pretty much ineffective, Regina started walking towards Emma with a murderous glint in her eyes. She made a ball of blue smoke appear in her hands, and whispered "Goodbye, thief," as she threw it towards Emma. Emma couldn't do anything but stare in shock at the smoke that was coming towards her. She thought of Henry, and how much she loved him as she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Suddenly she felt something underneath her and looked down. Somehow she had transported herself onto the horse, managing to avoid the blue smoke that hit a tree instead, completely disintegrating it on the spot. Emma gasped, horrified at what had just happened, and Regina spun around shocked, clearly not understanding how Emma had managed to evade her. Emma kicked the horse into gear immediately and galloped away, making sure to have protection around her in case any last-minute fireballs came towards her.

Regina didn't follow her, which made Emma feel very relieved. She didn't want another showdown with her, especially now that she knew the brunette would happily disintegrate her at any moment. The fact that she had just tried to kill Emma several times was going to be a _great_ new development in their relationship. It was already rocky in Storybrooke. Emma knew she couldn't really blame Regina for this; after all it was the Evil Queen that had tried to burn her to death and not Henry's mother. Still, seeing what she was capable of and what she was willing to do sent a shiver down Emma's spine. The stories weren't joking. She really was evil.

Emma slowed down the horse and dismounted when the castle came into view. It was dark and creepy, just like Emma expected it to look. She didn't really know how to approach it; after all, what would she say? _Hi I'm Emma, I'm from the future. _No. This was going to require some sort of plan. Emma sighed as she walked closer on foot, leaving the horse tied to a tree. She thought just her approaching might be a better plan. She stopped to compose herself for a moment before going any closer, but at that moment a voice came from behind her. "Well hello dearie," it said. "And what are you doing at my castle?" Emma spun round. Sure enough, it was Gold, but he looked so…different. His skin was a brown-green colour, and it looked as though he was covered in glitter. His demeanour was very unsettling. Emma knew that there would be a price for what she was about to request, and knowing Gold it wouldn't be an easy one, but she had to get home somehow. She missed her family too much. She drew in a breath before coming out with it. "I need you to help me get home," she said. He cackled, which was the most chilling sound Emma had ever heard. "And why would I help you with that, dearie?" Emma hesitated before replying what she knew would get his attention. "Because if you don't," she said, looking into his eyes, "then you'll never see your son again."


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm really sorry for the delay! It's been a very chaotic week.**

**I want to thank everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed, it really means a lot to me. I especially want to thank utenafangirl for pointing something out to me that I had missed. I have dealt with it in this chapter, so it should work out now. Here's the chapter, I hope you like it!**

Chapter 4

"_I need you to help me get home," she said. He cackled, which was the most chilling sound Emma had ever heard. "And why would I help you with that, dearie?" Emma hesitated before replying what she knew would get his attention. "Because if you don't," she said, looking into his eyes, "then you'll never see your son again."_

The effect was immediate. Rumplestiltskin's cocky grin slid right off his face. "What did you say?" he asked quietly. Emma felt bad for using Neal like this, but Rumple had to believe she was telling the truth, and this was the only way he would help her. "Your son," she replied hesitantly. He stepped forward, confusion in his face. "I am from the future," Emma said, throwing caution to the wind. He needed to know anyway to help her. "I fell through a portal and it brought me here. I need to get back to my time…and realm."

"You are not from this realm?" asked Rumple incredulously. "Then where are you from?" Emma pondered how much to tell him. He couldn't know too many specifics, or everything could change. "The–the curse you are going to get Regina to cast. It works. I am the saviour, the product of true love. I break the curse. I am from the world the curse created, and I have to get back. Can you help me?" Rumple contemplated her for a moment. "My curse succeeds? And you have broken it in your time then. Wait," his eyes grew wide. "Do I find my son? Do I find Bae?" Emma froze. She couldn't tell him that he died; otherwise he might change everything to find him another way. She settled on the truth, or at least part of it. "Yes, you find him," she answered quietly.

"Alright then, I will help you, but realm and time jumping is not an easy thing to accomplish. I will look for a way and while I do I suggest you stay out of trouble. It seems the Queen is hunting you. If she captures you, you won't live to return back home, so I suggest you avoid her. I will find you when I have a solution. I also presume that I will have to wipe mine and Regina's memories after you leave, otherwise there could be consequences. I shall leave now. Good day." He vanished. Emma stood confused for a moment, mouth slightly agape as she considered what had just passed and Rumple's confusingly abrupt departure. She shook herself out of her stupor. At least he was trying to help her. She decided to make her way back to where she had left the horse, praying that Regina wasn't there to try and kill her again. _The Evil Queen has some serious anger issues_, Emma thought to herself.

Thankfully, Regina was nowhere to be seen when Emma made it back to her horse. She guessed she was so shocked by discovering Emma had magic that she had left soon after. Emma went by a different route to the way she came; Regina could still have some weird plot to ambush her, so it was best to lay low until Rumple found a way to get her back. There were so many consequences to the littlest action, it was extremely limiting and frustrating. She hoped the price of her request wouldn't be too high.

* * *

Regina had merely stood shocked for a few moments after Emma had disappeared. She didn't know what to make of the mysterious thief's magic. The sound of nearby horses roused her from her thoughts and brought back her anger. She returned back to her carriage and guards and set off.

After a while, the reality hit Regina like a slap to the face. "STOP!" she yelled, immediately exiting the carriage to her guards' surprise. She began pacing around her carriage, a look of confusion, realisation and anger clearly etched on her face. "Y-your majesty?" asked one of the guards timidly, but she didn't answer him.

"How could I have been so stupid? I should have known. We were right by it! I sent her straight into his clutches!" Regina buried her head in her hands. She turned to face her bemused guards at last, who looked slightly afraid. "We need to go back," she growled. "To the Dark One's castle. The thief has gone there. No doubt she is already working for him. Let's go!" she barked, and went straight back into her carriage which immediately sprung to life under the guardsmen and turned around.

* * *

Rumplestiltskin was buried deep in his books when he sensed the Evil Queen's presence on his lands. "Of course," he muttered snidely, not moving from his work and waiting for the tirade that was about to occur.

In a matter of moments, the front doors were bursting open and Regina marched into the castle in a fury. She strode over to the room where Rumple always was when she came: his dining room, no less. It was a magnificent, huge room, dusty and old, but it still held a sort of charm. She found him deep in reading a number of books. He didn't even look up as he acknowledged her presence. "Well hello, dearie. And what can I do for you this fine day?"

Regina huffed. "You know perfectly well why I am here, imp. That thief I have been hunting, who has _magic_ no less, was headed to your castle. I wish to know why and what you have told her. Did you make a deal? What did she want?" Rumple looked up at her. "She has magic?" he asked, intrigued. Regina nodded, but then looked confused when his eyes lit up and he immediately reached for another book, rifling through the pages with fervour. Regina seemed to chalk it up to his usual strange behaviour and continued her verbal attack. "What did she ask you? What did she want?" Rumple merely chuckled. "Now, dearie," he said, "Why would I tell you anything? You have nothing I desire. The girl came to me, but I was unable to help her. She left. That is all." Regina eyed him suspiciously. "I don't believe you," she said bluntly. "I told you she has magic. That is information. You have to offer me something!"

Rumple looked back at her in annoyance. "Alright then. The girl was searching for a way home, and there is no doubt that being away from a murderous Evil Queen was top of her list of priorities. There is the information. Now, you may leave." Regina looked at him angrily. Realizing however that she did not want to give him anything in exchange for more information, as that would degrade her dignity and make her seem unable to deal with this herself, she resolved to find out through her own means. "Very well," she said coldly. "This is not the last you will hear of me. I intend to find the girl and learn the rest of the details of your…discussion. You know that I can be very persuasive." Her eyes glinted with rage and a devilish smirk came across her lips.

Rumple eyed her for a moment before mirroring her expression. "You forget dearie, that she has already bested you on more than one occasion. My bet is on the blonde with this one." His cackling echoed around the walls as Regina stalked out, this battle having been won by the Dark One.

* * *

Emma had spent the night on the forest floor, which wasn't particularly comfortable. Her supplies had gone, much to her annoyance. She suspected Regina had taken them, which meant she had no food either. Just as she was preparing for her day's ride, she felt someone behind her. Turning around, she saw Rumple standing close by, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What are you doing here? Have you found a way yet?" she asked hopefully. He gave a devilish smile, as though he was enjoying what he was about to say. "The person who went through the portal will have to open it, and it requires magic. I assume you have magic judging by the Evil Queen's attitude not long ago. She was quite put out. I'm afraid you have angered her greatly; she does not take well to being bested." Emma shifted uncomfortably. "Oh." She chanced a glance at him. He was watching her curiously. "Yes, I have light magic. It is due to being the product of True Love, I thought you would know that?" Emma looked at him slightly confused. However, Rumple flicked his hand and a dozen rocks rose from the ground, pelting towards Emma. She yelped and stopped them with her magic, much like she had warded off Regina's fireballs. Once they were gone she rounded on him. "What the hell was that? You could have killed me!" His smirk was too big for her liking. "I was just checking; I needed to be sure you were telling the truth of who you were. It seems you have quite a lot of magic."

"You couldn't have checked any other way?" Emma asked exasperated. "And before you ask, I'm Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter." Rumple merely laughed at this information. "It is fitting then, for you to have incurred the Queen's wrath." Emma rolled her eyes. "Yes it's just fantastic," she snapped. "So, I will be able to open the portal when the time comes. Do you have a solution yet? Or is this just a pleasantry visit?" Her angry tone didn't affect Rumple in the slightest; he was used to the angry and desperate.

"Oh yes dearie," he said silkily, "I have the solution. But first, I think it's time to discuss payment." Emma's head snapped up and she started to protest. "Payment? But I–" he cut her off. "I could just leave you here, in this realm," he replied dangerously. Emma sighed and nodded for him to continue. "There is something I require. Something that will prove your worth and since you really are the saviour, it should be no problem. This something currently resides in the Queen's castle. I want you to get it for me." Emma's eyes went wide. "Are you insane? The woman wants me dead already! She'll probably kill me immediately!" He only smiled wider. "As I said, you can prove yourself. This item was taken from me a while ago, and it is now in the Queen's possession. I want you to get it back." Emma ran her hands through her hair. "Fine," she said bitterly. "What is it that you need me to steal?"

"The Dark Fairy's wand." Emma raised an eyebrow. "What? You want me to steal some wand? Fine. I'll do it. You going to tell me whereabouts this wand is?" Rumple smirked. "You can find that out on your own. It is in the Queen's castle, that's for sure. And as to your previous comment, it is not just _some wand_. It is one of the most powerful instruments of magic out there. And I want it back." His eyes were glinting with rage. Emma rolled her eyes. "Ok, ok. Steal the wand. Got it. But what if she keeps it on her person or something? How am I meant to steal it then?" He cackled. "You'll find a way. Your magic is very powerful. I would use that to your advantage. Good day, saviour." He vanished into thin air, leaving Emma alone with her thoughts. "Great, now I have to rob the Queen that's trying to kill me. Could this day get any worse?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for making you guys wait! Life has been a bit in the way this week. I basically rewrote the whole chapter so it took me a little longer than I thought. **

**Just for the record, Robin Hood appears in this chapter. In this story, Emma knows who he is but she's never really spoken to him that much and has no clue of his family situation or anything. As to the Regina/Robin situation, I'm not sure if they're together in Storybrooke in this story. I guess I will just leave that out, as that doesn't really fit with the story. Hopefully that clears up everything in the chapter. It ends kind of abruptly, but I needed to separate this chapter from the next somehow. I hope it works ok. **

**Again thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed! I will respond to the reviews as soon as I can, I promise, it's just been a bit crazy this week. Anyway, on with the chapter!**

**As usual, I don't own OUAT or any of its characters. One can dream. **

Chapter 5

Emma had placed a disguise on again. That meant less work with the memory potions if she ran into anyone from Storybrooke. She sighed as she slowly made her way back to Regina's castle, wondering exactly how she was going to steal this wand. She needed time to snoop around. Perhaps she should pose as a maid? That would give her access to the castle at least. Would Regina sense her magic? What if she just snuck in? These musings occupied Emma's mind for a while, but they were interrupted by the sound of voices nearby. She dismounted the horse and hid them both behind some trees. The voices grew louder and eventually a whole group of men emerged from a nearby path. Emma recognized the leader, and in her surprise she stepped on a twig that made a loud crack through the woods.

The men immediately drew their weapons. The leader stepped forward, bow drawn. "Show yourself!" he called. Emma mentally smacked herself on the head. "I mean no harm," she replied, before gingerly stepping out from behind the tree, arms raised. The men were eying her suspiciously, but thankfully no one had tried to kill her. "Who are you?" asked the leader curiously. Emma hesitated slightly. "I, er, I'm Mary," she replied. "I didn't mean to scare you, sorry. I heard voices and I thought it might be the Queen's guard and so I hid." At this, the men seemed to relax a little. The fact that she was hiding from the Queen was enough to make them not consider her a threat. The leader, Robin Hood, motioned for his men to drop their weapons and in turn lowering his bow, yet he kept a firm hold on it. "What is your business in this forest?" he asked.

Emma was a little annoyed at this question; it wasn't like it was _their_ forest. However, she maintained composure. "I am a traveller, unfortunately on my way to the Queen's castle. I am on the run from her, but I must take back something she stole." It was pretty much the truth. Emma had a little hope that the merry men might be able to tell her how to infiltrate the castle. They were notorious for knowing how to do that kind of thing, even though they were mainly seen as thieves.

Robin looked a bit surprised, but didn't question her. He seemed to consider her words for a moment before speaking. "Well, perhaps we can help you on your quest. We are no friends to the Queen. She has taken much from us." The others nodded in agreement. Emma raised an eyebrow, surprised at his quick acceptance of her sincerity and speedy offer of assistance. "Are you sure? It will be dangerous," she said slowly. "I can't hide the fact that the Queen will be angry if she knows what we're doing, or what we are taking. You may get captured. I can't risk your lives, there's too much at stake." This was the truth. She couldn't risk getting any of them killed, especially as they were meant to make it to Storybrooke eventually. Robin only smiled. "We have been in worse situations, trust me. We know how to evade capture, at least most of the time," he winked at her. "At least let us help you get into the castle. We do not have to accompany you, if that is your wish." Emma pondered this for a moment. She could use all the help she could get, and as long as they didn't come in with her, their lives shouldn't be in danger. She nodded. "Ok then. You can help me. Thank you," she smiled.

* * *

"So, where are you from?" asked Robin as they made their way to the castle. Emma fidgeted. "Er…far from here. I'm not really from a specific place, I've moved around a lot, y'know?" He nodded. "I get that. We're always moving around. I feel terrible putting my son through it all, but it is the only way we can survive." Emma glanced at him, wondering whether to delve any deeper or not. "And his mother?" she asked tentatively. His face was stoic. "Dead," he replied quietly. Emma immediately backtracked. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to–" He put up a hand. "It's alright. I've got my boy," he said, a small smile appearing on his lips. "She was taken last year. I don't know where, but I'm guessing she's no longer alive. I have to be strong for my son, but I miss her so much." Emma nodded. "I understand. The father of my son was killed not long ago. It broke my heart." She felt tears welling up in her eyes but pushed them back down. "We weren't together for a long time after the kid was born, but…I still miss him. I think I still loved him, even after what he did to me." She felt a hand being placed on her arm and Robin gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Is your son nearby?" He asked, changing the subject, which Emma was grateful for. "Not exactly. He's with his grandparents at the moment. I had to leave him behind when I came here. I really want to get back to him, but I have to do this first. It is the only way to get back." Robin looked a little confused but said nothing.

They continued to make easy conversation as they walked. Emma had never really talked to Robin that much, but he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Emma had an uneasy feeling that his wife's disappearance had something to do with Regina, but she didn't say anything.

They all camped out under the stars for the night. Everything was so peaceful and beautiful. Emma couldn't help but remember that this would have been her home. She could have been running and playing in the woods if it weren't for Regina. As soon as the thoughts came into her head she shook them off. She couldn't get angry at Regina now. That would only hinder her mission. She sighed as she rolled over to face the dying embers of the fire nearby. It felt like a suicide mission. Regina was seriously smart and had a ton of magic; she would surely know that she was somewhere in her castle. And despite Rumple's confidence in her saviour abilities, she wasn't sure if she could pull it off. She didn't even know what the Dark Fairy's wand did; let alone how to find it. These thoughts led her to an uneasy sleep, filled with dreams of purple smoke and disintegrating trees.

The next thing she knew she was being shaken awake. She sat up coming face to face with Robin Hood who was smiling. "Today's the day you rob the Evil Queen. Are you ready?"

* * *

"Er, are you sure about this?" Emma looked at Robin nervously. His plan depended on quite a few circumstances and involved possibly making the merry men's presence known in the area, which would likely anger Regina. "It sounds dangerous, Robin. I won't let any of you get hurt, I'm serious." Robin smiled at her with understanding. "Don't worry about us, Mary. We can evade the Queen. We just want to have her distracted so you can sneak in. We can't promise for long; you'll have to find your own way out." Emma sighed and nodded. She was playing with fire walking into Regina's castle, she knew, yet it had to be done. "Very well then. But if you find yourselves in danger, you have to leave immediately, do you understand? I can handle myself in there." Emma didn't sound very convincing, but Robin clapped her on the shoulder and nodded anyway. "Alright then, if you're sure. If you can, get us word if you're ok afterwards, yeah?" Emma smiled weakly at him. She had a bad feeling this wouldn't go very well.

Emma slung a bow and arrow round her shoulder and fixed a sword at her hip. She had no idea how many guards would be around or even in the castle, so she wanted to be prepared. Once they were all ready, they set off for Regina's castle. The merry men knew many routes to the castle, so the journey was relatively short.

As the castle became slowly visible in the distance, Emma became extremely nervous. This was it; her only chance to get back home rested on this attempt. She had no idea what she was going to do once she was inside, but she hoped some sort of plan would come to her upon entering. She'd always been a spur-of-the-moment and instinct kind of girl.

She parted a little from the merry men as they came upon the castle. They went off to enact their various plans of distraction as Emma skirted the trees getting as close to the garden boundary as possible without being seen. With any luck, the guards at the door would be distracted enough so that she could climb over the fence (no doubt needing magic to aid her) and sneak through one of the side entrances.

After about ten minutes, Emma heard a noise and noticed the guards closest to her run towards what looked like a fight in the middle of the street. She took her chance when none of the others were looking or had disappeared off and quickly and quietly made her way from the trees to the most secluded part of the boundary. Using her magic as an aid, she managed to get over the fence, but scraping herself several times in the process. She grumbled when she noticed her trousers looked a little bloody from the ordeal. When she gave these back someone was going to be seriously pissed off.

Emma made her way across the garden, using trees and bushes as her cover before reaching the side entrance. She hesitated, not believing it to be this easy. She sucked in a deep breath and attempted to open the door. To her surprise, it opened immediately. She glanced around her to make sure no one had seen her, and then stepped into the castle. "Whoa," said Emma, in response to the sight that greeted her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter! There's another cliffhanger in this one, sorry but I just love to write them! I hope you like it :)**

**Warning: a bit of bad language in this one, just a heads up.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own anything.**

Chapter 6

"_Whoa," said Emma, in response to the sight that greeted her. _

Emma had walked straight into a large, ornate room. There was a huge golden throne on top of a dais in the middle of the room, which was obviously Regina's. The walls were a dark stone, and they were covered in paintings of what Emma guessed were former rulers. Emma looked around, unsure if it was real. It was so different to anything she'd ever seen, and so much bigger that she was rooted to the spot, her mouth agape.

That's when she noticed the guards.

"Shit." There were six of them, clearly just regular guards in normal position. And yes, they noticed her too.

One of them ran out the door, yelling something incomprehensible while the others advanced on her. Emma jumped from her position and started to move away from them, into the corner of the room. She was pretty much trapped.

They drew their swords, clearly ready to take her down or capture her, neither of which Emma wanted. Then she remembered. _Magic._

Emma almost smacked herself on the head. How could she have forgotten? She could use magic to get out of this, although taking down five guards wouldn't be so easy. She couldn't just poof away; they would still be after her. She had to eliminate them, but not kill them.

She focused as quickly as she could, and thrust her hands out at the guard closest to her. A net appeared out of nowhere and suddenly he fell to the ground, trapped and writhing within it. The other guards stood shocked for a moment before they turned on her again, anger evident in their eyes.

Before they could even move towards her, metal ropes were coming out of nowhere and trapped two of the remaining four guards against the wall. They fought against them, but they couldn't even move their arms. Emma hoped that would be enough to keep them at bay for a little while.

She felt the other two guards advance before she saw them. She turned and drew the sword from her hip before meeting one in a clash of swords. Anger was etched on his face, and Emma tried to look braver than she felt as she met him swipe for swipe. She was thankful David had taught her something of swordplay in Storybrooke, or she was pretty sure she'd be dead right about now.

Surprisingly, the other guard didn't seem to be doing anything, but then Emma saw him raise his sword and she jumped out of the way just in time so that he didn't sever anything vital, but she felt a hot pain in her arm as his sword hit her. She also felt the disguise leave her, and judging by the guards' shocked faces she was back to normal.

"Damn!" she said, feeling the blood run, but she didn't have time to process it at the moment. She raised her arms and concentrated like hell, and just like they'd been hit with a sleeping curse, the last guards collapsed onto the floor unconscious.

Emma sighed as she viewed the scene in front of her. Two unconscious guards, two struggling against metal ropes and one caught in a net. It was certainly a spectacle. Deciding she didn't want to stick around in case any more guards came along, she strode over to the doors, deciding to ignore the pain in her arm and continue with her task.

She exited the room and found herself in a hallway, the same dark stone making up most of the decoration. Despite the slight melancholy feel, it still felt intimidating to an outsider. Emma shuddered slightly. She looked around, making sure there were no more guards before walking along the corridor. She didn't really know where she was going, but she had to start somewhere. As soon as she opened another door she felt it. It was like magic pulsating through her veins. It was like it was possessing her. And in that moment, Emma knew exactly where to go.

* * *

Emma ascended various stairs and went through several corridors, letting the strange sensation guide her, suspecting somehow the Dark Fairy's wand was calling out to her. After going up a few floors, she came to some large wooden doors. The tug she felt indicated that this was the room where the wand was. Taking in a deep breath, she pushed the doors open. "Well shit," she said, as she took in her surroundings.

She was in the library. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls all the way up to the high ceiling. _Really? She hid it in a damn book?_ Emma thought as she stepped further into the room. There were thousands of books in there; it would take forever to search them.

Just as she was beginning to despair, a strange glow jolted her from her thoughts. A raggedy old book on an extremely low shelf was glowing green. It glowed brighter as Emma neared it. It was clearly some sort of strange magic that Emma had never encountered before.

Nervously, Emma slipped it out of its shelf. The book seemed to buzz with magic as she touched it. With shaking hands she opened it and was met with the sight of the wand tucked into a hole in the pages, like in some ridiculous movie. "Classy," she snorted, removing the wand. It looked like an ordinary black wand, like something out of Harry Potter. Shrugging, she replaced the book. It stopped glowing and looked again like any normal book on the shelf.

Emma couldn't believe that the wand looked so…normal. She expected some weird design or something to indicate the dark magic that it contained, but there was nothing. It was just a simple black wand. She quickly secured it inside of her shirt so that no one saw it.

Emma walked quietly back over to the doors of the library, making sure no one was outside before exiting and shutting them. She ran quickly down the corridor and down the stairs, retracing her original route. She was curious why there was no one around at all. Surely the guards in the throne room must have been noticed by now? She hadn't even come across any magical barriers. She had expected some kind of force to stop her from taking the wand, but nothing had happened.

She stumbled slightly and put her arm out to steady herself, when she felt a flash of pain in her arm. She winced, almost having forgotten the wound in the discovery of the wand. She tore open the arm of her shirt to look at it. It didn't look too bad, but it was still bleeding a little and Emma knew she should get it looked at as soon as possible.

She was walking towards the exit when she was stopped dead by a very familiar voice.

"Well hello dear," came the deadly voice. Emma turned around, completely recognisable to Regina. When Emma just stood mute, desperately thinking of a way out, Regina strode up to her with her eyes blackening dangerously.

"Speechless?" Regina smirked. Before Emma could object the queen had placed a hand around her forearm and she felt familiar smoke surround her. _At least I lasted this long_, she thought as the smoke engulfed her vision, transporting her somewhere she suspected no one could help her.

* * *

They appeared in what looked like a private study. Regina let go of Emma's arm but her eyes did not move from her face. Emma felt very uncomfortable and nervous under the gaze.

Regina began speaking. "I should have known. What the hell are you doing here? I've had a price on your head for days! Why are you in my castle?" Her eyes glinted dangerously and Emma could tell there was magic just waiting to burst. Emma shifted uncomfortably. "Er, just sightseeing?" she said, trying and failing to lighten the mood a little; it only made Regina angrier. "How dare you be rude to a queen?"

This made Emma seriously annoyed. "Jeez, Regina, quit acting all high and mighty," she snapped. "I don't know why you hate me so much, well I kind of do, but that hasn't even happened yet. What I mean is why are you doing this? What do you have to gain by it? Yeah I stole a freaking apple. Get over it, will you?"

Regina looked shocked. Emma doubted anyone had ever talked to her like this, and felt a little bad at the harsh tone she had used, but she was pretty sure Regina wanted to kill her so she didn't have much to lose.

Regina's eyes narrowed and pure hatred seemed to emanate from her. It was then that she noticed Emma's wound. She smirked. "Get yourself injured, dear? Shame that you couldn't heal it. I presume that was at the hands of my guards."

Emma smirked right back. "Yes it was actually. Speaking of guards, where are they? Some of them wouldn't happen to be in your throne room tied up and unconscious, would they?" If it was possible, Regina looked even angrier.

"Well then," she said, her voice cold, "I suggest we settle this…dispute." Emma looked confused. "Er, how?" Regina smiled, but it was a smile reserved for people she excessively disliked. "How about I try to kill you, and we'll see how long you can defend yourself for?"

Emma took a step back, her heart pounding in fear. "E-Excuse me?" she squeaked. Was Regina being serious? Some sort of battle? This was ridiculous. Emma had a bad feeling she wouldn't be able to fend Regina off for very long, even with her magic being as strong as it was.

Regina simply smirked. "Bring your best, dear. I play to win." And with that, her hand filled with yet another fireball. Emma sighed despite herself. Regina was predictable, yet deadly. Emma considered her options. She really didn't want to fight Regina, as she suspected she would likely lose. Her best course of action would be to get out of the castle immediately and summon Rumplestiltskin. Now that she had the wand, surely he would be willing to help her? Thankfully Regina didn't seem to know that she had stolen the wand.

These thoughts were occupying Emma so much that she barely noticed the fireball coming towards her. She yelped and leapt aside at the last moment, not even bothering with magic as the fireball whizzed past her and into the wall, leaving behind a faint trace of ash.

"What the hell?" Emma yelled, turning to face Regina. She merely chuckled evilly. "Oh, dear," she said, a hint of excitement and rage in her voice, igniting her palm again, "That was just the beginning."


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter was quite hard for me to write. I kept getting distracted and deleting things. Well, here it is. Not sure how it turned out, but I hope it's ok.**

**This story will probably end in the next few chapters. I hope I can make them worth your while!**

**Some violence and stuff in this one, just a heads up.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT, never have.**

Chapter 7

Emma backed up slightly, warily eyeing the flame in Regina's hand. She attempted to speak calmly to Regina, although inside she was battling a jumble of emotions, mostly fear and anger.

"Regina, please think about what you're doing. Can't we just talk about this? I know you don't really want to do this. Please find the light inside of you; I know it's there."

Regina's eyes widened slightly, but then her face contorted into a snarl. "Don't pretend that you know anything about me dear," she sneered. "I am going to kill you whether you like it or not. I am more powerful than you. I am the Evil Queen."

And if as to accentuate her point, she threw another fireball.

Emma dodged it again, getting dangerously close to being trapped against the wall with Regina in front of her.

"Please Regina, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I'm going home soon. Then you won't have to worry about me any longer."

Regina advanced, and Emma knew talking wasn't going to get her out of this one. It was going to be a duel, and she wasn't sure if she could stop Regina killing her.

"You will not be going anywhere," said Regina silkily. "You will fight me. I will not be bested!"

Emma threw her hands up in desperation. "Fine. If you insist on this, then very well. But if I win, then you have to let me go."

Regina seemed to consider this for a moment, then she smirked. "Let's begin then. I would hate to kill you before we've even started."

* * *

Books came flying at Emma from all angles, almost like birds of prey diving in for the kill.

Thankfully Emma was pretty effective with her magic; it seemed that Storybrooke Regina had actually taught her something useful after all.

_This study is way too small for this battle_, Emma thought as she dodged yet another fireball. The books were now either disintegrated or had turned into little pillow-type things, which didn't hurt when they hit her.

Emma backed out closer to the door. She thought that in the corridor she'd at least have room to breathe. In the study she was pretty much trapped.

She distracted Regina with an impromptu sort of shooting light and shoved the doors open, running backwards out of them.

Regina followed immediately, as expected, but this time Emma had freedom to move. She thought she could gain the upper hand in this battle, now that she wasn't being cornered and pelleted with books.

Unfortunately Regina was too smart for her. Emma hadn't noticed the suits of armour lining the halls, but she certainly did when Regina brought them to life.

"Uh-oh," said Emma quietly as the few closest to her advanced. This was like the situation with the guards but worse. These couldn't be killed; they were just metal.

Still, Emma braced herself with her magic. She focused it all to her fingertips, and allowed emotion to wash over her as she prepared for a barrage of attacks.

Among it all, Regina was just standing there, watching. It helped Emma's anger significantly.

Emma shot out a hand to the suit of armour that had come closest to her. She managed to twist and bend his legs by magic so that he collapsed on the ground. But the others simply stepped over him.

It had taken too long just to get rid of one. Emma didn't have time to do that again before they were too close, drawing their swords.

Emma drew hers tentatively, watching as they seemed to stop and consider her.

Then they pounced.

Emma dodged a swipe from one, jumped over a chain from the other, and sidestepped a mace from a particularly close one. She swung with her sword, putting all of her might into it, turning in a circle to face each suit of armour.

They'd cornered her. She couldn't fight them all. Soon she was going to be defeated by them. It was ironic really, the way Regina tried to kill her; the way she'd done it before.

It was indirect. Regina didn't dirty her hands when she killed the people whom she particularly wanted to destroy. She had the genie kill the king. She had a huntsman search out Snow White, and then given her a poison apple. She'd tried to give Emma a poisoned turnover.

And now, she was just watching. Watching as another enemy bit the dust. And that angered Emma beyond belief.

Just before something sharp looking came into contact with Emma's side, she looked up at Regina, and let the anger consume her. She didn't hate Storybrooke Regina, she knew that she'd changed, but in this moment she allowed every frustration she'd ever felt to overwhelm her.

A white light came out of nowhere and pierced Emma's vision, just as she felt hot pain in her side; knowing the object had hit its target.

Suddenly the light was gone, as were the suits of armour. It was just her and Regina in the corridor, and Regina wasn't looking too pleased. Emma ignored the blood staining her clothes and walked closer to Regina.

"Round One. I win." Regina looked shocked at these words and the powerful magic Emma had just conjured, but the look quickly morphed into a snarl.

Emma was ready for the spells, for the fireballs, for the hatred. She threw spell after spell at Regina, hoping to incapacitate her enough so that she could leave, but Regina just blocked them lazily.

Regina then swiped her hand, and the mirrors lining the hall broke, shattering to the ground in pieces. Emma flinched at the noise but then her mouth dropped in shock as the pieces rose from the ground and unmistakeably turned towards her.

As Regina moved her hands forward to her intended target, Emma closed her eyes, not even bothering to try and defend herself as she didn't have time to stop what was coming.

All she did was think of Henry. Her mother and father. Her family. She thought of how she'd finally found them. Of how much she loved them. She thought of how her heart had healed slowly, how the void that had been there since birth had finally disappeared with the gift of family.

She let love fill her heart as she hoped that they'd forgive her for everything, and she hoped that they would be able to heal.

Suddenly Emma was yanked back by an inexplicable force as something exploded, the sound so loud it almost burst her eardrums.

Then everything went black.

* * *

Emma slowly came to, feeling her whole body ache. Her head was throbbing from the impact with the ground, and her side and arm felt particularly bad. She also felt like she'd been pierced with a thousand needles.

She opened her eyes, noting that she was staring at the ceiling, but that she was still alive. She sat up gingerly, testing her body. It screamed in protest, but she forced herself to stand, staggering slightly and grabbing the wall to stay upright.

The first thing she noticed were the small mirror shards everywhere. It seemed they'd exploded and forced Emma back. However, apart from a few gashes the shards hadn't seemed to cut her. It was almost like she'd been protected from them.

Emma suddenly noticed a dark mass further down the hall. _Regina_. It seemed she'd also been thrown by the explosion or whatever it was, and she was unconscious.

Emma moved swiftly over to her, checking her pulse and her body to make sure there wasn't any damage.

Apart from an inevitable headache when she woke up, Regina looked fine. The bits of mirror hadn't hit her either, which Emma thought was a bit strange.

Emma looked around, noting the hallway was silent and empty. Surely someone would have heard the commotion by now? Why was there no one here checking up? Regina had a lot of guards, but none of them were around.

Regina stirred slightly and Emma stood up as though she'd been hit with a red hot poker. Seeing that Regina was alive, Emma regretfully left her on the floor, knowing she had to exit the castle now or Regina would without a shadow of a doubt kill her when she awoke.

She ran silently to the corridor and sneaked out down the stairs. Thankfully she found a guard near the exit. She ran up to him quickly, deciding that Regina needed to be checked up on. "Sir!" she called, startling the guard. "The Queen, she's outside her personal library. She's on the floor unconscious. I didn't know what to do, you must go to her immediately."

The guard seemed to disregard her state of dress and the blood all over her as he listened to her words. The moment the words 'the Queen' left her lips he had stopped paying attention to her appearance.

He yelled to a group of guards walking towards them, and they all rushed off immediately to find Regina.

Relieved, Emma exited the castle immediately, thankful that the space just outside of it was relatively quiet. She ran over to the woods and once she was out of sight she called "Rumplestiltskin?" tentatively into the air.

A small _pop_ behind her alerted her to his presence. His face was unreadable as she turned round, his eyes flickering to the blood on her clothes.

"You didn't do anything to the Queen, did you?" his voice was quiet, and he seemed a little curious at how Emma had actually managed to escape alive.

She shook her head. "No, she's fine. Although you really should give her that memory potion soon or all hell's going to break loose."

He chuckled. "Don't worry about that. Soon she'll have no memory of you. And neither will I. Now, did you get me what I asked?"

Emma nodded. "You have to uphold your end of the deal. When I give it to you, you have to get me home." Rumple gave her a bored expression. "I'm aware of our deal. Now let's get back to my palace before Regina comes looking for you. She won't wait long." He grabbed Emma's arm before she could protest, and then they were vanishing in a haze of purple smoke.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here it is, the second to last chapter! It's been really fun writing this story. I'm sad that it has to end, but then I'm also looking forward to writing new ones as well. I hope you guys have all enjoyed it as much as I have! The last chapter should be up soon.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or any of its characters.**

Chapter 8

They rematerialized in Rumplestiltskin's castle. Emma wobbled slightly, the transportation making her feel light-headed.

Rumple simply held out a hand, unfazed. "The wand, if you will."

Emma rolled her eyes and produced it. He took it in his hands, eyeing it closely. "Oh, yes," he whispered. "This is it." It glowed slightly as he handled it, the sure sign of magic within.

When he didn't do more than stare at it for several moments, Emma grew impatient, noting the increasing pain in her side and arm and deciding she needed to get home as soon as possible. "Can I go home now please? I upheld my end of the deal after all."

Rumple looked at her and nodded hesitantly. "Alright. But don't you want me to do anything about those?" He pointed to her wounds. "They look nasty. The portal ride won't help matters dearie. It appears you've lost quite a lot of blood."

Emma shook her head. "No. No more deals. I can handle this; it can wait until I get home. I have to go back to my family."

Rumple shrugged. "If you're sure. You will have to activate the portal yourself, using this." He motioned to the wand.

Emma's eyes went wide. "That thing activates the portal? How is that even possible?"

"Dark Fairy magic is very…different. It can do many things normal fairy magic and normal dark magic can't. The combination is often deadly, but also very useful in times like these. It crosses the boundaries between good and evil. It is a whole different specimen of magic." Rumple's eyes were glowing in a strange sort of awe as he said this. It was clear he was obsessed with magic and its effects, and Emma was made a little nervous at seeing it.

"So let me get this straight," said Emma, interrupting his admiration for magic, "You got me to steal the thing that would help me get home? Why didn't you tell me that before?"

He grinned evilly. "There's no fun in that, dearie. Besides, how would I know you wouldn't just use it and take it with you? No no, it was much better that you were left in the dark."

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I happen to keep my promises, you know. But I do have a question. Was the wand actually stolen from you at all? Or did you just want it because of its power?"

Rumple smirked. "You have many questions. But I suppose I will grant you the answer, seeing as you did such a good job of getting me this." He patted the wand in a possessive way that sent shivers down Emma's spine.

"Everything gets stolen every once in a while. This wand obviously was never originally in Regina's possession. She stole it also. I just…followed the trend. It so happens that I wanted this particular item and you were on hand to get it for me. If you think to question my motives," his eyes darkened for a moment, "just remember that it helps you too. Without it you'd be stuck here."

Emma held up her hands. "Fine. We've all stolen stuff at times for a reason. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I won't complain seeing as it's my way home. Speaking of home, can we get to that part now?"

Rumple shot her an unimpressed look. He then handed her the wand cautiously. "Alright dearie. You have to hold this and picture where you want to go very clearly. If you don't the consequences could be disastrous. Take the wand and draw a circle in the air, and the portal should appear."

Emma took the wand and closed her eyes. She pictured Storybrooke and her family, all of them together, laughing. She pictured Henry and smiled softly. She pictured it all like just before she'd left.

She opened her eyes, feeling the magic coursing through her body, and drew a circle in the air just like Rumple had said.

A portal appeared right in front of her, swirling orange and yellow. Rumple reached forward and grabbed the wand out of Emma's hands. She glared at him but then turned to face the portal.

"Don't forget the memory potions," she told him. She could practically hear him rolling his eyes at that. "I know what I'm doing, dearie. Are you going through the portal or not?"

The wind from the portal was picking up significantly. Emma took in a breath, praying that this would work, and jumped.

Once she had disappeared along with the portal, Rumple chuckled deviously. He withdrew the memory potions from his jacket and waved a hand over them, watching as they momentarily glowed purple.

"Once our dear saviour returns, I will remember exactly what happened. And so will Regina."

His cackle echoed across the walls as he vanished in a haze of purple smoke.

* * *

The next thing Emma knew was that she was falling. Before she could really register the feeling she landed with a loud thump on the ground. She groaned at the severe pain it had induced and then chanced opening her eyes. They widened as she took in her surroundings.

She was back.

The barn looked the same as it had done before she went through. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened. She didn't know if any time had passed since she'd left, but she hoped it wasn't too much. She had a lot of explaining to do anyway and if time had passed that would make everything much more difficult.

Emma made to sit up, but the pain in her side caused her to double over and mutter several curses under her breath. She almost blacked out from it but fought for consciousness. She noticed that she was bleeding more profusely now, and she had already lost a lot of blood so this wasn't going to do her any good at all.

Slowly Emma stood up, making sure to pause every few seconds to make sure she didn't faint. She needed to find her family.

She took a few steps and made it out the barn, almost breathless from the exertion. She somehow managed to keep walking, determined to find the people she loved.

* * *

In Storybrooke time, only a few minutes had passed between Emma's departure and her return.

Everyone was still worried about her, but when baby Neal made a cute gurgling noise they were all distracted, focusing their attention on him. They didn't notice the portal reopen then close again. They didn't know Emma had returned.

Emma felt that she had made it into the centre of town in record time considering her injuries. She was on the brink of collapsing, but she pushed on knowing she would find her family.

When she reached the diner she noticed that everyone was in more or less the same position, and Emma breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't been gone that long. However, she guessed she'd been gone long enough that her absence would have been noticed.

She stopped for a moment, watching the scene inside, hurt suddenly coursing through her. Everyone seemed to be focused on baby Neal, and they were all smiling and laughing. Tears started sliding down Emma's cheeks. It was as though they didn't even care that she wasn't there.

She had been so looking forward to seeing them all again. She had realised that she had finally found a home, and that for once in her life things seemed to be going right, even with all the evils that they had to face.

Anger flooded through her. She stalked up to the diner and flung the door open, startling everyone in the room.

They all looked up with a gasp. Emma had forgotten her appearance and she realised she must look a mess. She was in strange clothes covered in blood, her hair was mattered and she was barely standing.

Regina and Gold's eyes went wide as memories came flooding through them, Gold's enchantment working as they both remembered Emma's time in the Enchanted Forest. Gold looked smug while Regina looked horrified, remembering what she had done.

It was Snow who spoke first. "Oh my god, Emma! We thought you'd gone through the portal. I–what happened to you?" Her parents made to get up and embrace her but Emma held out a hand, scoffing.

"What happened to me? Well, let me tell you. I ran from the diner because I'm being replaced by your new child, and _I'm sorry_ if I couldn't handle rejection and abandonment again. I fall through some goddamn portal and end up in the Enchanted Forest in the past. I come across Regina who tries to kill me several times, I run into Rumplestiltskin who makes me go steal something in some weird game of his and then I almost get killed, _again_, by Regina's guards and then by herself once more. And then I finally come back through the portal, looking for my family, only to discover they haven't even noticed my disappearance and don't even care."

She breathed heavily after this speech, it having taken a lot of her energy away. She grasped onto the nearest table in order to finish this discussion. She had to let her parents know how much they were hurting her.

Regina had winced more than once while Emma was speaking. Although her and Emma didn't really get along, she was Henry's other mother and that meant something, if only Henry's happiness. She realised she had nearly succeeded in killing Emma, and she shuddered at what the consequences could have been. She looked over at her, realising that her injuries were severe and noting the pale and clammy look of the blonde. She looked like she was about to faint.

"Emma," said David, his voice shaking slightly due to the shock at his daughter's words. "We were never trying to replace you, sweetheart. I'm sorry if you felt that way. We love you so much, the last thing we want to do is hurt you. We know you went into the portal. We were so worried for you, but Gold said there was nothing we could do."

Gold spoke up, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "Indeed I did, and I was correct. And just how was your jaunt in the Enchanted Forest, dearie? Walk around a lot did we? Steal something from an Evil Queen?"

Understanding flashed across Emma's face. "You remember. What the hell, Gold? I thought you were going to take a memory potion?" He chuckled, but everyone else was watching the exchange looking slightly confused.

"Oh I did dearie, but I made sure that once you reappeared here, that Regina and I would remember every second." At this, Snow and David looked up to Regina, suddenly seeming to remember what Emma had said.

"You tried to kill our daughter? The hell, Regina?" David yelled, the words from Emma's speech finally sinking into him. Regina didn't flinch but her face morphed into an angry expression "Look, I'm sorry. I was the Evil Queen, what can you expect? I admit that it was a bad move, but I wasn't exactly in a forgiving mood at that time." She eyed them all nervously yet dangerously, expecting someone to yell and provoke her, but to everyone's surprise it was Emma who spoke up.

It was obvious to everyone that Emma was about to faint, and Snow and David's hearts stopped for a moment as they saw the blood seeping further along her clothing.

"Can we just, not do this now?" she said weakly. "I can't take this right now. I just, uh…I just…" Emma couldn't finish before she collapsed, her vision fading into darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

**This is it– the last chapter! Thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed, I really appreciate it. I hope you all enjoyed reading it :)**

**Thanks to BlueTigress for a great idea in this one! You rock.**

**Lots of family fluff in this chapter! :D**

Chapter 9

As Emma collapsed, her parents sprang into action. David leaped out of his seat and caught her before she hit the ground.

Snow looked frantically from Emma to Gold to Regina. "Help her. Please," she choked. Gold stepped forward, a glint in his eye, but he was stopped by Regina laying a hand on his arm.

"No," she said curtly. "I will do this. This is…this is my fault. I will fix this." She walked over to where David was carefully holding Emma's body and knelt down. Since the memories were fresh in her mind she knew exactly where Emma had been hurt, although it was quite obvious where the blood was coming from.

She lifted up Emma's shirt and winced at what she saw. Everyone else gasped as her injury was exposed. The wound in her side was nasty. She'd been stabbed by some sort of mace, so there were many deep cuts that looked extremely painful and were still bleeding profusely.

Regina placed her hands over the wound and closed her eyes, letting the magic flow through her hands. She felt incredibly guilty at what had happened to Emma, but she thought that she was at least making some sort of amends by healing her.

Slowly the wound grew smaller and smaller, the skin that had been torn stitching back together as the healing magic did its job. Next Regina moved onto Emma's arm. There was a long vertical cut that looked extremely deep. Regina performed the same healing magic and the wound slowly healed. It did not heal fully; Regina had never been as proficient in healing magic as she'd wanted to be, and it was taking its toll on her energy.

She stopped, and all that was left was a small cut. It wasn't bleeding and would probably heal very quickly. Regina slumped back onto the ground, feeling a little dizzy from the exertion. Surprisingly it was Snow that gave her a drink and helped her to sit on the nearest chair. She raised a questioning eyebrow and Snow simply shrugged. "You helped her, so I guess I owe you."

Before Regina could reply to this, Emma stirred. Everyone's attention was now focused back to Emma as her eyes fluttered slowly open.

* * *

Emma felt groggy and exhausted. As she became more aware of her body, she noticed that she was no longer in immense pain. She didn't feel blood from her wounds anywhere, which surprised her.

She chanced opening her eyes. The light was bright, but everything slowly came into focus. That's when she realised she was practically lying on the floor of the diner, and that everyone was looking at her apprehensively.

She sat up tentatively, feeling some tiredness in her limbs, but thankfully no more pain.

"Emma!" came a loud shriek. Suddenly Snow was running over to her and engulfing her in a furious hug. Emma's arms were pinned to her sides whilst her mother cried and hugged her.

"Er…Mom?" Emma said a little breathlessly. "Kinda hard to breathe over here." Snow released her immediately but kept a hand on her arm, looking afraid that her daughter would disappear again.

Emma made to get up and was helped by Snow and David. She still felt a bit dizzy, but when she looked, all her injuries were pretty much gone. "My wounds have gone. How…?" she trailed off, looking uncertainly at the people around her.

"Regina healed them," said Snow. Emma's gaze immediately went to the woman on the chair, who attempted a smile.

"Regina? You healed me? Why?" Regina sighed. "It is my fault you were injured, Emma. It was the least I could do." Emma smiled at Regina's words.

"Well, thanks. I appreciate it."

Snow fidgeted nervously. "Emma, I hope you know that we noticed you were gone. We were so worried, we really were. I can't lose you ever again, and I won't. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. We love you so much, Emma."

David placed his arm around Snow's shoulders. "I couldn't have said it better myself." Emma smiled at their words. It seemed her parents really did care for her after all.

"Emma?" Henry's voice floated over to the group, followed by the boy himself. He hadn't been in the main part of the diner when Emma returned, so he'd missed all that had occurred. He ran up and hugged Emma tightly. She held on to him for as long as she could before he pulled away.

"You're back! I knew you'd come back ok." He beamed. "Where did you go? Did you end up in the past?"

"Sure did, kid. I was in the Enchanted Forest many years ago. Not quite like it was in your storybook though. Hey we should check that out, I think some things might have changed in some of the stories." She winked. Henry looked a little confused but nodded. Then he noticed the blood on her clothes.

"Emma, are you ok? Were you hurt? What happened?" Emma glanced over to Regina who looked frozen in fear and decided to spare him some details. "Well kid, I got into a few scrapes back in the Enchanted Forest. Nothing I couldn't handle though. Some of the people back then weren't too nice to strangers, but I bested them. I'm all healed now though, so no need to worry."

This seemed to satisfy him as he laughed and sat down, opening the book.

Regina walked over to Emma and said quietly, "Thank you for that, Emma." She smiled back. "No problem. Anyway, you've made up for it." She gestured to her healed wounds.

The sudden cry of "Emma! Look!" had everyone turning to look at Henry who was holding the book up, grinning. "You're in the storybook!"

Emma peered over and saw a picture of herself, dressed in the clothes she was currently wearing. It looked like she was in the forest. "That's awesome! I finally got in the book after all."

As Emma was looking at herself in the storybook, she felt her chest swell with love. She was finally a part of something; she was finally part of her family's story. She was a part of the history she had always felt distant from; a life she never really connected with until now. She looked over at her parents and found love and pride in their gazes as they looked at her.

"We are so proud of you, Emma," said Snow. "I hope you know that."

Emma gave her parents a spontaneous hug at this. "I know," she whispered, holding them tight. "I love you guys."

David chuckled. "We love you too, Emma."

Emma released them and smiled, turning back to Henry. As she surveyed the scene in the diner, she realised that she'd found the place where she always wanted to be.

Home.


End file.
